Build a character to match this picture

[phaedrusxy]

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I found this digging around in a metric crapton of stuff Agita had uploaded, and thought it was one of the coolest fantasy pics I'd seen. I really want to make a character based off of it, but am waffiling as to what fits best.

I think he looks like he's basically not there and/or is made of some kind of energy, likely necromantic. I was thinking of making him an incorporeal character, but binder also comes to mind.

Edit: Now that I look at it again, it has a lot of similarities with the images of kaorti.

[123456789blaaa]

Optimized?

[phaedrusxy]

Optimized?

Well, moderately. I'd like it to be something I might actually play, so if it is useful at low to mid levels that would also be a bonus. Homebrew is OK, if it fits better than official material.

[ariasderros]

Looks kinda Psionic to me, wwith the way his weapon glows too (currently using Deep Impact)?

Looks kinda Haunt-Shift-y to me too.

[phaedrusxy]

Looks kinda Haunt-Shift-y to me too.

Yeah, I thought of that. But it doesn't really look like a suit of armor as much as some kind of containment suit (hence the kaorti).

It also reminds me of the Apok from Rifts.

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[ariasderros]

Yeah, I thought of that. But it doesn't really look like a suit of armor as much as some kind of containment suit (hence the kaorti).

Kaorti suits are air-tight bio-hazard style suits.

Ethergaunts, on the other hand...

[phaedrusxy]

Yeah, I thought of that. But it doesn't really look like a suit of armor as much as some kind of containment suit (hence the kaorti).

Kaorti suits are air-tight bio-hazard style suits.

Ethergaunts, on the other hand...

I don't think their suits have to be airtight, do they? The planar energies are what damages them, not the atmosphere. The suits are also described as being made of strips of resin, and this guy's suit seems to be made of leather-looking strips. The kaorti pictures also have them drawn with bones on their suits.

Hmm... you know, I do like the idea of him being a Haunt Shifted undead... What I see in the picture is some being made of "pure" necromantic/ethereal energy, and I'd certainly imagine it dealing with soul energy (eating them, animated the dead, etc). So maybe something like a haunt shifted necropolitan binder/dread necromancer/anima mage?

[zook1shoe]

Dread Necromancer 20 + staff... Done

[zook1shoe]

Stupid wi-fi on phone!

[ariasderros]

Acererak is mandatory.

[Nytemare3701]

If anyone cares, that is Grenth, the god of death in the Guild Wars setting. He's kind of a badass, and he specializes in condition damage. Enervation, plagues, cold damage, that kind of thing.

An uttercold assault necromancer fits him perfectly.

[littha]

Arenanet also used to have him personally banhammer (banscythe?) people for cheating in guild wars 1... or was that Dhuum? (his older brother)

[phaedrusxy]

Hmm... becoming a necropolitan really makes you give up the one thing that's so awesome about being a binder: your con score. Having a con score (or at least being able to take ability damage) is required for a lot of the best Vile feats. So really binder and necropolitan don't synergize very well. So maybe we'll drop that undead part.

Magic-blooded human dread necromancer

Feats:
1st: Precocious Apprentice, Versatile Spellcaster, Tomb-Tainted Soul, Fell Drain, Dark Speech (EE bonus, taken at 5th)
3rd: Improved Binding
5th: Dark Whispers (EE bonus)

Other feats to take: Eldritch Corruption, Spell Focus (Necromancy), Metamagic School Focus (Necromancy)

At 1st level, this lets him cast 2nd level spells, dish out negative levels, and also gives him unlimited out-of-combat healing. So he should be quite nasty. Later on, we'll retrain at least Precocious Apprentice.

Then we'll take Binder at level 3 and pick up Improved Binding to enter Anima Mage at 4th and at least go far enough to get Vestige Metamagic. We'll devote ourselves to an elder evil, and pick some of the ones fueled by ability damage (Dark Whispers, etc).

Edit: WTF... Dread Necros don't have cantrips? That kills the Fell Drain at 1st level idea for them... without also burning a feat on Metamagic School Focus, or something...

[Nytemare3701]

Arenanet also used to have him personally banhammer (banscythe?) people for cheating in guild wars 1... or was that Dhuum? (his older brother)

Yeah, that was Dhuum. Good times...

[Maat Mons]

When I think of being made of energy, I think of the elemental archon prestige class (Faiths and Pantheons).  It literally turns you into air/earth/fire/water shaped like a man.  It's not like those sissy prestige classes that turn you into an elemental but have you still look normal. 

[ariasderros]

When I think of being made of energy, I think of the elemental archon prestige class (Faiths and Pantheons).  It literally turns you into air/earth/fire/water shaped like a man.  It's not like those sissy prestige classes that turn you into an elemental but have you still look normal.

I think of, in this order: Metaconcert; other Psy-stuff; Incorporeal; Ethereal; Incarnum.

Glowy-stuff makes me think of Psy and Incarnum too.

[Nameless Void]

Anima Mage.. Totally an Anima Mage

[sirpercival]

No no no no no.  He's a Mawkin!

[SorO_Lost]

My first impression was a Necromancer Druid and after reading Nytemare3701's comment about he is the god of death that uses enervation, plagues, and cold damage, yeah still thinking the Same. Exact. Thing.

Blighter has some nice flavorful matches; you're dressed in tree bark and leather, you use wooden staffs, you can cast spells, you animate dead animals, you spread diseases, whatever you turn into is thin and bony with no face, you're kinda epic.

Unfortunately, the Blighter class isn't exactly what you'd call a strong class for optimized play. I feel it is every bit of the flavor through and there is workarounds when it comes to the exact levels taken...

[ksbsnowowl]

My gut response any time someone brings up Blighter is Talontar Blightlord from Unapproachable East.
Nearly the exact same flavor, but an infinitely better class.  Of course, it has the problem of not granting its own casting, which would be more advantageous for the following build (which ends up using neither).

Dread Necromancer 1/Druid 3/Mystic Theurge 4/Arcane Hierophant 10/Mystic Theurge 2

Precocious Apprentice, Versatile Spellcasting, Tomb-Tainted Soul, etc.

You end up with 19th level Druid casting, 17th level Dread Necro casting (but can use versatile spellcasting to cast 9th level spells), have a 13th level animal companion (who might also have 11th level familiar abilities; depends upon interpretation), etc, etc.